


The Choice

by Pandora151



Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars Prequel Trilogy, Star Wars: The Clone Wars (2008) - All Media Types
Genre: "Pick Who Dies", Angst, Blood, Character Death, Deathfic, Gen, Tragedy, Whumptober 2020
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-02
Updated: 2020-10-02
Packaged: 2021-03-07 18:07:10
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 847
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26771884
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Pandora151/pseuds/Pandora151
Summary: “I have ordered my children to kill your friends.  The question is…”The Father disappeared from Anakin’s view, reappearing on a balcony high above the courtyard.“Which one will you choose to save?  Your master, or your apprentice?”
Relationships: Anakin Skywalker & Ahsoka Tano, Obi-Wan Kenobi & Ahsoka Tano, Obi-Wan Kenobi & Anakin Skywalker, Obi-Wan Kenobi & Anakin Skywalker & Ahsoka Tano
Comments: 27
Kudos: 116





	The Choice

**Author's Note:**

> Hello, and Happy Whumptober, everyone! :)
> 
> The large majority of the fics I will be posting for this event can be found on Tumblr, but there are a few (such as this one) that will be posted on both Tumblr and AO3, or _only_ on AO3. 
> 
> If you want to keep track of everything I'm writing for Whumptober this month, check out my [Whumptober 2020 Masterlist](https://pandora15.tumblr.com/post/630781342844682240/whumptober-2020-masterlist) on Tumblr! I will be updating it daily as the month progresses with links to my prompt fills.
> 
> So a few months ago, I told [glitter_glitch](https://archiveofourown.org/users/glitter_glitch/) that I would write a tragic Mortis fic based on that moment where the Father tests Anakin in the first episode. When I saw the Whumptober prompt for "Pick Who Dies", I knew that it was time for me to sit down and write this thing.
> 
> So here we are! Enjoy the sadness :)

As he walked out into the courtyard with the Father, Anakin felt dread pooling deep in his gut, cold and terrible. He shuddered, looking around the empty courtyard for anything that seemed out of place.

The Father led him to the circle at the center of the courtyard before he stopped, turning to face Anakin.

_“It is time to face your guilt and know the truth,”_ he said, voice booming through the courtyard.

Before Anakin could even think of a response, he heard a screech from somewhere in the sky. He looked up.

Two large creatures—a white and green griffin and a black and red gargoyle—flew into the courtyard. As the creatures flew closer, Anakin spotted who each of them held in their talons.

The dark creature—the one Anakin assumed was the Son—held Ahsoka, and the Daughter held Obi-Wan. As they landed on opposite sides of the courtyard, Anakin saw that his Padawan and his Master were both struggling to pull away.

“Whatever it wants, don’t do it, Master!” Ahsoka exclaimed, struggling to use her free hand to push her other hand out of the Son’s grasp.

Anakin turned to the other side of the courtyard, where Obi-Wan was struggling to pull himself forward, almost shaking from the exertion.

“Let them go,” Anakin demanded, glaring at the Father. “I will _not_ play your games!”

_“Oh, but I think you will,”_ the Father replied, walking casually around Anakin. _“I have ordered my children to kill your friends. The question is...”_

The Father disappeared from Anakin’s view, reappearing on a balcony high above the courtyard.

_“Which one will you choose to save? Your master, or your apprentice?”_

Anakin’s stomach dropped as he looked from Obi-Wan and Ahsoka, blood roaring in his ears. His vision blurred, and his legs trembled, threatening to buckle and deposit him to the ground.

_“You must now release the guilt, and free yourself, by choosing!”_

Anakin froze.

Guilt?

Oh, Anakin knew guilt all too well. He was guilty for what had happened to his mother, and for what he had done to the Tuskens afterwards. He was _guilty_ for breaking the Jedi Code and marrying Padmé, but he loved her so much, and he would not allow the Council to expel him for such matters.

But despite that—despite the horrible guilt Anakin felt even now—Anakin would not play the Father’s games.

He shook his head. “No!” he exclaimed vehemently.

“Their powers are too strong for us, Anakin; save Ahsoka!” Obi-Wan shouted, and Anakin turned to face him, stomach clenching.

Anakin felt his breath freeze in his chest.

No, he couldn’t lose Obi-Wan. He _wouldn’t_ lose Obi-Wan, not like this, not when he was being forced to choose between two of the most important people in his life.

He turned back to Ahsoka, who was still trying to yank her arm out of the Son’s grasp, but her efforts were futile.

“Let them go,” Anakin hissed, looking up at the Father once again.

_“Only you can make my children release them,”_ the Father declared, gesturing toward the Daughter and the Son.

With a quiet exhale, Anakin closed his eyes, reaching slowly for the Force. He distantly heard Obi-Wan saying something, and his voice vibrated through Anakin’s mind, a pillar, a _certainty._

He would not choose between Obi-Wan and Ahsoka. Not today.

Anakin opened his eyes.

_“You will let them go!”_ he exclaimed, pushing his arms outwards with a strong Force push. He watched as Obi-Wan and Ahsoka stumbled backwards, as the Son and the Daughter fell into his grasp.

Then, he lifted.

Night and day rotated on its axis in the sky above him. The Force sang in his veins as power unlike anything Anakin had ever experienced ignited itself in his body. The planet was bending to his will, to _his_ command, and it would not fail him.

And these children—they would heed his wishes, because he could control them however he wished, just as the Father said.

This was _his_ moment of glory; this was what he had been waiting for his whole life. The sort of power that would allow him to write the galaxy’s fate, to control and dominate, to bring _balance_ —

A terrible, pained gasp rang into Anakin’s ears, and the Force seemed to freeze in its place, painting the sky dark. Lightning flashed across his vision, and he distantly heard Ahsoka cry out over the ringing in his ears.

Slowly, Anakin turned.

The Daughter was lowering Obi-Wan slowly to the ground as her bloodied talon slid out of his chest. Obi-Wan’s head lolled sideways, away from Anakin, but he could see the blood pooling underneath his body.

A horrible scream echoed in the courtyard, and then Anakin was sprinting towards his fallen Master, distantly hearing Ahsoka’s footsteps from somewhere behind him.

“ _No_!” he shouted as he ran to Obi-Wan, taking in the sight of the gruesome hole in the center of his chest, the blood, and the stillness that had taken over Obi-Wan’s body.

The Force shattered, and Anakin screamed along with it.

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading, and please leave a comment on your way out!


End file.
